MORSE: You had not asked to see the contents of Mrs. Shire’s computer before this time?
WADE: No. I’d been busy investigating multiple homicides. I knew California Highway Patrol would be looking at it.
MORSE: And I’ll ask again—did it not occur to you that Arthur Rozland had stolen Mrs. Shire’s computer
because
of that video?
WADE: I may have entertained that thought briefly. But it didn’t seem likely at the time.
MORSE: Once again, I am amazed at your answer, Sergeant Wade. Hannah Shire had reported being harassed by two men posing as FBI agents, demanding to know what Morton Leringer had told her before his death. She gave them a copy of the video. Why wouldn’t these same men return to her house for her computer if they thought that computer might contain the video as well? They were clearly trying to recover any and all copies.
WADE: We know all these details now. A lot of the dots have been connected, and hindsight makes everything seem obvious. It’s this way in many cases, Chairman Morse. I’ve investigated a lot of homicides, and often it takes weeks, months, even years to solve a case. When it’s all done, how easy it is for someone outside the investigation to armchair quarterback. “Why didn’t you do this? Why didn’t you see that sooner?” But I have to keep reminding you how complex the events of that day were, and how fast one twist came upon another. Do you realize how few hours had gone by since I’d first even heard Hannah Shire’s name? So let me state this clearly: at the time I didn’t know the men posing as FBI agents were aware Mrs. Shire had retained a copy of the video. And let me also remind you—when Harcroft and I heard she’d made that copy, we told her to erase it.
MORSE: Erasing that copy would certainly be in the best interest of FreeNow, wouldn’t it?
WADE: I resent any insinuation that I would share in FreeNow’s “best interest.” As for Mrs. Shire’s computer—if you’d like to get back to that topic—upon hearing it contained the video, I asked that a copy be made at once and hand-delivered to me at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s station, where we could use better technology to look at it.
MORSE: Why not send it electronically? Hand-delivery took more time. Another delay.
WADE: I wanted to keep that video secure. Sending it through cyberspace did not meet that standard.
MORSE: Were you informing Homeland Security as these events occurred?
WADE: Yes.
MORSE: And what did you discover when you finally watched the video?
WADE: As it turned out, the technology available at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s station was not advanced enough. We were able to see something at the beginning and end of the video, but we couldn’t distinguish any letters. Remember that up to this point I had serious doubts that Hannah Shire was telling the truth. Now that it was clear the video did indeed contain some sort of message, I couldn’t take any chances. I took the flash drive to the FBI’s San Francisco Joint Terrorism Task Force. It took time for me to reach that destination. After some work at that office I and a number of agents were able to watch the video frame by frame. We discovered the “Phase” text at the beginning. And we saw the encrypted message at the end, proceeded by the word “Abort.”
MORSE: In other words, Sergeant Wade—Hannah Shire was right.
Monday, February 25, 2013
The car ride seemed to take forever. Emily longed for her computer in the backseat. With her built-in Wi-Fi, she could be looking up information, checking the news, learning more about cyber terrorism—as if that would do them any good at this point. But what if the cops could somehow track her computer like they could a cell phone? She asked Dave if that was possible.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Never heard of it.” He picked up his phone. “I’m going to check the office again.”
Dave had called once already and talked to Ronnie. Had the FBI agent been back? Was anyone else asking about Emily? Or Dave?
No and no, Ronnie told him. She pestered him to tell her what was going on.
“If that agent shows up again,” Dave had said, “
don’t
tell him anything
.
”
Now Dave’s second call found nothing new. No one else had come around looking for Emily. Dave set down the phone, his shoulders sagging in relief.
“I keep thinking about my computer, sitting there at the office,” he said. “With that video on it.”
“I told you to erase it.”
He threw her a hard glance. “You want me to turn around and take you back home?”
“No. Sorry. I’m just . . . nervous. And scared.”
“That makes two of us.”
Emily fidgeted in her seat, every nerve itching to
do
something. Finally she couldn’t stand it any more. “Okay, here goes.” She twisted around in her seat to get her computer.
On the Internet she first went to Bay Area news and watched the segment of Cheryl Stein and Ashley Eddington that her mother had seen. Those two women looked so angry at her mother. How in the world would she and her mom get past that?
The sadness on the little girl’s face was heartbreaking. Emily found herself tearing up again. Then at the end was the stuffed dog. RAWLY.
Dave’s cell rang. He picked it up and winced at the ID. He showed it to Emily: his wife. “Hello.”
“Where
are
you?”
Emily could hear Tania’s voice through the phone. “I called the office and they said you hurried out hours ago.”
Dave glanced at Emily. “I had to take a sudden road trip.”
“Road trip. Where?”
“I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.”
“Why not now? What’s going on?”
“Tania, are you at work?”
“Of course, where else would I be?”
“Look, after work, don’t go home. Go to your parents’ and wait ’til I get there. I won’t be home until about 9:30 or 10.”
“
What
? What are you doing?”
“Just tell me you’ll go.”
“I . . . okay. But you need to—”
“And make sure you have candles and flashlights.”
“Dave. You’re starting to scare me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Emily shut her eyes. She should never have gotten Dave into this. But if she hadn’t, Rutger would have caught her for sure.
“Look, Tania, I need to go now. Don’t want to stay on the phone for long.”
“Tell me you’re all right.”
“I am. I’m fine. Just helping out a friend. Talk to you again when I can.” Dave ended the call.
Emily shook her head. “That went well.”
“Could have gone a lot worse.”
True.
They drove in silence.
The familiar roads and landmarks whipped by, Emily giving Dave directions. Soon they were in San Jose. Then merging onto 280. Seeing the exits close to the area in which she’d grown up had always raised a lump in Emily’s throat. Those streets stood for good memories, a happy childhood. Now they just looked menacing and dark, even in the daylight.
Dave’s cell phone rang again, Aunt Margie’s number in the ID. Emily snatched it up. “Mom?”
“I’m here. Almost to Edgewood exit.”
“We’re not far behind. Must have driven faster than you.”
“Where are we?” Grand’s distant voice trickled over the line. “Isn’t this close to home?”
“Just a minute, Mom,” Emily’s mother told her.
“I want to go home!”
“Just . . . I’m trying to talk to Emily.”
Emily winced. Her grandmother sounded so confused. “So what—”
“Hannah, I have to go to the bathroom.” Grand’s voice again.
“Okay, in a minute. Let me talk to Emily.”
“I have to go now!”
“All ri—”
“Right now!”
“Mom,” Emily said, “you’d better take her.”
“I know, but where? I can’t go into
any
store in this area.”
“Hannah!” Grand was downright wailing.
Emily gritted her teeth. This was never going to work with Grand along. She should have stayed with Aunt Margie. “Let’s meet up somewhere. I can take her inside.”
“Okay.” Emily’s mother sounded so tired. Like she’d never be able to make decisions. “Where can we go?”
“How about Sequoia Hospital?” No one would take a second look at a confused, elderly woman there.
“Okay.”
“Hannah!” Grand yelled.
“I know, I know.” Mom’s voice shook. “We’re going to take care of you right away.”
The tension between them flowed over the phone. Just hearing it pulled Emily’s muscles into knots. They still had much to get through, and Grand could be so . . . crazy.
“Okay,” Emily said, “here’s where we meet.” She chose an area in the hospital parking lot. “What kind of car are you in?”
“A light blue Camry.”
“We’re in a black Nissan. See you soon.”
They ended the call.
Emily let her head fall back against the seat. This would never work.
“Where are we going?” Dave asked.
She told him the way. “Just drop me off and leave. Get home to Tania. Some day I’ll make this up to you, Dave. Some day.”
When would she even see him again? What if she and her mother failed, and the electricity went off for a long time? Did their building even have a backup generator? If so, how long would it last? And meanwhile they still wouldn’t have Internet, right? So what would be the point of going to work?
Dave shot her a look. “Will you be okay?”
No. “Sure.”
A few minutes later they pulled into Sequoia Hospital parking. Mom and Grand were already there. Emily’s throat tightened when she saw them. She grabbed her laptop bag, gave Dave a hug and final thank-you, and jumped out of his car.
Ow.
That hurt her knee.
Emily flung open the backseat of the Camry and threw her bag inside. Her mom slid out of the car. She looked terrible, old makeup smeared and clothes a mess, her hair uncombed and fear in her eyes. She looked down at Emily’s knee and gasped. “What happened to you?”
“That fake FBI agent, that’s what.”
Her mom’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Emily could see the guilt on her face. “Mom, I’m fine. It’s not your fault.”
Her mother’s eyes teared up. Emily hugged her hard. For a moment they just stood there, feeling each other shake.
“Emily!” Grand called.
“Coming.” Emily broke away from her mom and helped Grand out of the car. Her grandmother’s hair was smashed on one side, the lines in her face deeper. She wore crazy clothes, mismatched blue and green, all wrinkled.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Grand reached out her arms.
“Good to see you too.” Emily hugged her, feeling the boney back, the slight frame. Had her grandmother ever felt so frail? “Let’s take you inside to a bathroom.” She clasped Grand’s fingers and pulled her toward the building.
“I need to go too,” Emily’s mom said. “I’ll follow at a distance and keep my head down.”
Too dangerous to be seen together. How many times had her mother’s and grandmother’s faces been shown on the news?
Grand allowed herself to be led. “Did you know Bad People are following us?” She fluttered her hand in the air. “We have to get to Raleigh. It’s very tiring.”
“Yes, Grand. I know.”
Emily’s gaze cut left and right as they crossed the parking lot. Was anyone following? Was her mom all right? Everything within Emily pulled to look over her shoulder, check on her mother. But she didn’t dare.
As they entered the hospital, her pulse skipped.
She asked for directions to the nearest bathroom, then hustled her grandmother along. Once they entered the restroom, panic clawed at Emily’s throat. What was her mom doing? Had anyone recognized her?
“Hurry, okay?” she whispered to Grand.
As they left the restroom, from her side vision Emily spotted her mom ready to go inside. Grand saw her too. “Hannah, what—?”
“Shh!” Emily squeezed her fingers.
“Ow!”
In the hallway, heads turned.
“Come on, Grand, let’s go.” Emily pulled her grandmother away, heartbeat in her throat. If anyone had heard the name
Hannah
. . .
They crossed the parking lot as fast as Grand could go, Emily praying for her mother. At the car she noticed it unlocked, keys still in the ignition. Her mom’s purse sat in the backseat. Woman wasn’t thinking very straight. Emily helped Grand into the front passenger seat, then slipped behind the wheel. She started the car.
“Where’s Hannah?” Grand sounded so scared. How had she made it through all this?
“She’s coming. We’ll go up and get her.”
“We can’t leave Hannah!”
“It’s okay, Grand. It’s okay.”
She drove toward the entrance and put the car in Park.
Come on, where are you?
Long seconds stretched by.
Her mother came out of the building. Emily could have cried. Her mom reached the car, opened the back door—
From nowhere a gray van surged in front of them and jerked to a stop. Its side door gaped open. A man jumped out, gun in hand. Emily gasped. The man grabbed her mother and dragged her toward the truck.
“No!” Emily leapt from the car.
A second man appeared in the van and pulled her mother inside. The first man flung open the Camry’s front passenger door and yanked out Grand.
“Ahhhh!”
He clamped a hand over her mouth. In no time she disappeared into the van. Emily ran toward her. “Nno—!”
An arm gripped around her neck. Then shoved her—hard. Other strong arms caught her at the van’s door and pulled her inside to dimness, a hard floor. A man climbed in after her.
Her knee
hurt
.
Was she dreaming? It happened so fast.
Someone slammed the door, plunging them into darkness.
The van took off.
SPECIAL HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION INTO FREENOW TERRORIST ACTIVITY OF FEBRUARY 25, 2013
SEPTEMBER 16, 2013
TRANSCRIPT
Representative ELKIN MORSE (Chairman, Homeland Security Committee): Am I correct in assuming that, once you saw the messages on the video, you finally believed Hannah Shire?
Sergeant CHARLES WADE (Sheriff’s Department Coastside): I believed her words about the video. I still had four homicides to investigate, and her role in those deaths remained unclear.